N.B. school stops playing 'O Canada' over complaints

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by broli
But you north Americans seem to love yourselves a lot.

I can only speak for one of the 3 countries in North America

We had a similar issue here in the States children no longer recite the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the school day

Yeah a few parents didn't like the "one nation under God" so thay outlawed it. It was replaced at my school with a moment of silence.

this is to D.E.M, if you don't like it here there are planes leaving every day!

and to broli you are lucky you are not speaking German, or I guess you don't remember the Noth Americians dying on your soil!!

YES WE ARE PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY!!

AND EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THE NATION ANTHEM!

You know, being a born and bred Canadian, having parents whose families have been in this country for 100+ years, having many family members who have served for this country (both mine and my spouses), having grown up singing our National Anthem every morning throughout school, things like this, really get under my skin.

If you can't accept our laws, our values, our traditions, then for Gods sake, go back to wherever the hell you came from.

I'm sick of Canadians having to change our ways, to appease a few.

I'm damn proud of my Country, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on this planet. But, and I mean a BIG but, if I had to move on to some other country, then you can be sure that I would accept their values and traditions. Who am I to try to change the way another country does things?

I believe the singing of our Anthem every morning is part of what keeps this country united. I thank God that my son is fortunate enough to attend a school where they still sing our Anthem every morning, and teaches him and the others to be Proud Canadians.

Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky, but darn it, I LOVE this great country! I don't want to see the things that make Canada, Canada, slowly stripped away.

Originally posted by NovusOrdoMundi

Originally posted by Rook1545
Show some respect to your country for christ sakes.

Respect is earned. Being born within land borders that do not exist beyond maps doesn't make you obligated to show unconditional respect and allegiance to the government of the land borders you were born within.

I would say the men that died defending other nation's that didn't have the ability to defend themselves, should earn some respect. Being one of the top nations for Peacekeeping around the world deserves respect. Being a free nation where everyone is welcomed deserves respect. Care to tell me why the people that live here shouldn't respect the nation again?

What respect has my government shown me? What is your idea of "respect"?

My government interferes with my ability to receive a quality education that my forced income tax pays for. My government can seize my land, my home, my car, and all of my belongings when it pleases. My government can hold me without trial and without access to a lawyer. My government can monitor my communications and search my personal information whenever it deems doing so necessary.

My government has long since allowed the purchase and censorship of free media. My government can take away my right to weapons and to free speech. My government has made my vote - my most powerful form of non-violent revolution - meaningless for it's own selfish interests.

I should respect this? I should stand up, hold my hand on my heart, and pledge allegiance to this? I should proudly sing a national anthem that is nothing more than a salute to those that achieve their own ends through violent force?

Sorry to hear all that. You see what you want to see. Seeing as I live in Canada, I can say I am proud of my country, what it stands for, and most of what it has done. Does it have some tarnish? Of course it does. But I refuse to let a few bad things outshine the absolutely great things that it has done.

Your allegiance to the flag of a country that has done nothing to deserve the respect of it's people is no more upstanding and honorable than a Hitler salute.

Save your "get out of my country" nonsense. The arrogant, ignorant American tone is over-used and out-of-date and only is an example of just how indoctrinated Americans truly are.

I dare you to go up to a veteran and tell him that. You are nothing but a bitter individual. If you really and truly believe that, then go to Belgium, talk to the people there that are free today because people like the Canadians and the Americans gave up 6 years (4 for Americans) of their lives to help strangers, quite a few died for that. You go and tell them that your little speech about how Hitleresque they are. I am sure they might open your eyes a little.

Go to some war cemetery like Arlington, or Vimy in France and see the monuments to the people that are buried there. The people who died so that you can diminish and belittle their sacrifice.

I will say get out of my country. One side of my family immigrated here before WWII and were German, My grandfather did everything he could to help his new country against his old country during the war. He EARNED his citizenship. My other grandfather stormed Juno beach. He FOUGHT for his citizenship. You take yours for granted. You preach from your soapbox, never having worked for what you are currently taking for granted. There are many people around the world literally dying to get into our countries and you sit there and talk crap about it. Trade them places. See how much more you will appreciate it when or if you ever get back.

As for the news article, although I do not live in Canada, I have no issue with this at all. It should be done in the United States as well. Saying the pledge of allegiance or singing the national anthem in schools is nothing more than a form of indoctrination.

Schools are where children, who don't know any better, are brainwashed and conditioned to be mindless slaves for a corporation. The pledge of allegiance and national anthem are just further forms of control and enslavement.

I guess if trying to show an ounce of respect is indoctrination, then I say leave it alone. These kids have no respect for anything, and thrive on their greedy, me first attitude. These kids are already mindless slaves of corporations. Look at the clothes they wear, the food they eat, the music they listen to and what they listen on. These kids don't have a chance. Maybe if we took the corporations out of the schools and brought back a traditional education, these kids would have a chance.

I just heard about this on the radio an hour or so ago, was a whole debate about it. Back when I was in school who would've thought that the singing or playing of a national anthem would someday become a hot debate?

There's nothing wrong with national anthems. I'm not sure if it was in this specific case in NB or they were talking generally, but the problem is of course as always the mention of God.

"God keep our land glorious and free" - That's the problem in most of these cases, if not this one as well.

Petty stuff.

[edit on 30-1-2009 by Sara1]

Canada has much to be proud of... Nothing wrong with expressing that pride.

Personally, I like the song... Certainly it's easier to sing than the Star spangled banner....

reply to post by cognoscente

we are more unified by our common experiences, our differences, and most of all our rugged individualism, as opposed to the romanticized notion of the existence of some distant, far off and age old national traditions.

Strange as you may think it, I here in extreme southwestern Ontario, also have an allegiance that is particularly regional, but also international, in the sense that Detroit is part of my culture. I am proud of the unique blend of American and Canadian culture that people here have. Its what I grew up with. Its all I know. That does not prevent me however, from being proudly Canadian. They are not mutually exclusive.
I get the impression that for many people in Alberta and B.C., the "Canadian" part of their identity is weak to non-existent.

Im from New Brunswick, in Calgary now for last few months, but damn this is odd.

I remember up until grade 7 we had O Canada and Morning Prayer over the P.A

never a complaint, once.

Originally posted by wayno

I get the impression that for many people in Alberta and B.C., the "Canadian" part of their identity is weak to non-existent.

Maybe from a few people. I am from Alberta, and I am Canadian above all else. Alot of my friends are the same way. We are more anti-East, than anti-Canada.

I am not sure why people keep trying to make the world a black and white place. There is a great need for us both to take pride in what our country represents - especially we Canadians because we are truly fortunate - and to realistically face up to the problems and issues that need to be worked on, for there are lots.
I just wish that I could even remember the words to Oh Canada -- at 60, its so long since I've had an occasion to sing it that all I can do now is humm along for the most part. Of that I am not proud.

reply to post by Rook1545


hey Rook, I am really glad to hear that, about the pro-Canadian part anyway. We just don't hear from your segment as much as the other. I have relatives in the west and can't believe they would be anything but proud Canadians.
cheers!

Originally posted by wayno
reply to post by Rook1545

 

hey Rook, I am really glad to hear that, about the pro-Canadian part anyway. We just don't hear from your segment as much as the other. I have relatives in the west and can't believe they would be anything but proud Canadians.
cheers!

Yeah I am part of the majority here, we just can't muzzle the other side, so I just yell louder. As you can probably tell from my long post on this page, I am a very proud Canadian and refuse to take any kind of garbage from people who will take all the freedoms they can from our country but decry it from every street corner and outpost they can find.

Originally posted by Rook1545
Being one of the top nations for Peacekeeping around the world deserves respect. Being a free nation where everyone is welcomed deserves respect.

Clearly there has been a miscommunication between us, as I was talking about the United States, not Canada. Because of your "overly American" statement, I erroneously assumed you were American.

So given that the United States is very far from being a peacekeeping, free nation, I have no response to this.

Originally posted by Rook1545
Seeing as I live in Canada, I can say I am proud of my country

Just so there aren't further mis-communications when you respond to this, I was not referring to Canada. Although your country seems to be increasingly siding with the country to your south. That should be troubling for you.

Originally posted by Rook1545
Go to some war cemetery like Arlington, or Vimy in France and see the monuments to the people that are buried there. The people who died so that you can diminish and belittle their sacrifice.

I don't follow the norm and show unconditional respect to soldiers, so your guilt trip or what ever this is that you are trying to play on me is a tactic best not employed.

Men and women who join the military know what they are getting in to. They know that the possibility exists that they may go to war. That is commendable, but that's as far as my respect goes.

Many join for the benefits or because they come from poor areas where their opportunities are limited. Not because they're itching to defend this country.

I sympathize with their sacrifice because it wasn't to defend a country or to free a country, it was for the selfish benefit of the people who sent them to war. I understand that and feel for them, and I find it wrong.

But I see absolutely nothing in the simple act of joining the military or being killed in war that I should drop my beliefs and salute them. If they do something worth respect, that is another story.

I don't expect you to understand my point of view. Political correctness has most likely shielded you from understanding another point of view and encourages you to lash out against it. So really I'm wasting my time.

Originally posted by Rook1545
Trade them places. See how much more you will appreciate it when or if you ever get back.

I wouldn't. There's no difference between knowing you're a slave and being told to believe you aren't really a slave. In the end, no matter where you go, you are controlled by the government of that country.

Originally posted by Rook1545
Maybe if we took the corporations out of the schools and brought back a traditional education, these kids would have a chance.

I'm all for that. But our governments won't allow it. That should tell you something.

The day all you "Get out of my country then!" people wake up and realize that we as Canadians live in a country that is more corrupt, apathetic, environmentally destructive, and heavily censored than the all-famous United States, is the day I will say that I enjoy living here.

Until then, my allegiance is to the landscape that is lush and beautiful. Not to the government that makes me vomit, the people that are like unto sheep in terms of conversational capability, or some fictional "country" that only exists in the minds of those trying to rule it.

Wake up.

My uncle had a really long scarf like Baker from Dr. Who. Now that he's gone, whenever I see a man wearing a long scarf I think of him. My grandmother made great steaks before she passed away, her house was practically an Elvis museum. So, either we need to outlaw scarfs, steaks and Elvis memorabilia so that I'm sheltered from any possible sort of emotional pain or perhaps I can honor them by thinking of them when I see the things they held dear.

[edit on 30-1-2009 by saint4God]

There is an update to this story.

The school has been ordered to resume with the singing of O Canada.

Article



I also find it interesting the Principal of the school, Erik Millett, is or was a member of Canadas Green Party.

In addition to being a teacher and administrator, he has recently been involved in the Basement Players Theatre Group, is on the provincial board of directors for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, is an Executive Member of the Fundy Royal Green Party Riding Association and recently trained in Montreal with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Al Gore as a presenter and facilitator of “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Green Party

UMMM NO

I live in NB and went to public school all my life, and listened the the Anthem every day of every school day, and LOVED IT.

There's a difference between misplaced patriotism and loving the country you come from.

I think it's ridiculous that schools would stop playing the Anthem out of a few complaints.

I wanna know who complained, and what the nature of the complaint was, it makes no sense to me at all that a Canadian would complain about the Anthem being played in a Canadian school.

Now i don't think we should force the schools to play it, that would just be wrong, but silencing it out of a few parental complaints? In that case i should be able to have NB stop giving out homework to my kids every day just because i complain.

Wonderful, way to go NB, another EPIC Fail in a has been province.

~Keeper

reply to post by D.E.M.


However much i agree with your take on our Government and state of our people. That song was not written nor intended for those people. It was written with pride for our nation, our beautiful nation.

For you to condemn it over what you see going on today is just ridiculous, you're forgetting the history.

reply to post by Unknown Truth

Can't agree with you more. I have lived in the UK & Eire before moving to Canada and only wish both countries showed the pride in their national achievements as Canada or the US does.
As a PR in Canada, I am fortunate and blessed to call this great country my home. My kids sing the anthem everyday at school but could not recite the first verse of lines God Save the Queen or Arran na Bhien.
I'm not saying that the average person in the UK are not proud of their heritage, but TPTB seem to be against showing any sign of their national pride in case it offends immigrants/ guests who in my opinion should be grateful to be allowed residence in their host nation.

Originally posted by D.E.M.

Until then, my allegiance is to the landscape that is lush and beautiful. Not to the government that makes me vomit, the people that are like unto sheep in terms of conversational capability, or some fictional "country" that only exists in the minds of those trying to rule it. Wake up.

Since you seem to have such strong feelings about what's wrong with this country, I'd be really interested in what you've been doing to achieve change.